Michelob Ultra - Big Shark Cyclocross

Elite Men National Championship - Kansas City, MO

2008-12-17T13:25:00.004-06:00

Dec 14, 2008

Day two of nationals for me was the Elite race Sunday afternoon. The nice 50 degrees weather of the previous day was poised to take a nosedive. All the weather reports suggested that a cold front would roll in sometime in the afternoon. As I was packing the car at 10am, it was almost 60. When I left the hotel at 11am it felt like 50. Ten minutes later, parking the car at the race, it was about 30 degrees and still very windy. So much for a normal weather weekend in Kansas City. I felt a little tired while warming up, which did not bode well for a power course against the fastest racers in the country. Fortunately I had a large cheering section of sharks.

So instead of thinking how slow I was going and how cold I was, most of the race I was smiling and laughing at the crazy fans all over the course. A bunch of St Louis racers were gathered on the last run up, urging us on. Thanks for the big cheers!

How do you stay warm while wearing only short shorts? Push ups seemed to work well.

With a lap to go, the front of the race caught up to me. I placed 46th, and Josh ended up 55th. Not the best result ever, but overall this season has been my best yet. I look forward to some rest over the holidays before starting to prepare for next season.

Thanks to Mike Dawson for photos!

30-34 National Championships - Kansas City, MO

2008-12-15T19:04:00.007-06:00

Dec 13, 2008

I arrive Friday night around 11pm in Kansas City. Saturday morning I got up to check out the course at 8am before the days racing began. The venue was new this year, at Tiffany Spring Park just south of KCI airport. The course was on the side of a hill, and it felt like 90% uphill/10% downhill. The mud of a few days ago dried into a smooth, tacky surface with lots of traction. Temperatures were in the high 40's even in the morning. The wind was gusty all weekend, from 20-30mph constantly.

At 11am Josh and I lined up for the Masters 30-34 race. I was on the front row thanks to early registration, while Josh was a few rows back. The start went really well for me:

I got into the first turn in the top ten riders, and passed a few guys before the climb began. My group started to pull away and by the end of lap one, I was sitting in about 5th place.

Josh was a little further back in the teens or 20's, held up by a crash at the start.

With 3 laps to go, my group was racing for 5th place, the final spot on the podium. The 4th place rider was about 20 seconds ahead, and the next group was 30 seconds behind. I needed to ride smart and somehow get a gap before the pavement. Winning a sprint with the other two would be unlikely.

With 2 laps to go I was second wheel, trying to conserve energy for the last lap. As we started the final lap, I moved to the front and tried several attacks on the climb. I did not quite have enough to get a large gap, and the group came back together.

Going into the barrier section, which is about not far from the final run up and finish line, I sat third. The group slowed a little, and I attacked with everything I had left! This resulted in a few seconds gap exiting the barriers. The next section was an uphill/downhill/uphill into a run up. I was caught near the run up and was back to third position. Entering the pavement I did not have anything left for the sprint and finished 7th place. Here is the sprint below:

In hindsight, maybe I should have waited until that run up to attack. Or maybe I should have just saved it for the sprint. But I gave it everything I had and am very happy to have placed in the top-10, one of my season goals. Josh ended up 14th, a few groups back. Next year if Josh and I start well, I think we can both compete for the podium.

One more day of racing left- tomorrow is the Elite race.

The Claw at Nationals

2008-12-14T10:12:00.003-06:00

Here is Chris Clausen, aka "The Claw" being chased by a pod of blood (beer?) thirsty sharks.

As seen on Velonews.

Departing for Nationals today

2008-12-12T15:43:00.002-06:00

I am leaving for KC after work today. If traffic is not too bad, I will get there in 4 hours. Here are a couple of sites to follow the race results (in order of best coverage):

CX Magazine

Cyclingnews

Velonews

I have good starting spots for both days of races. In the Master's 30-34 race, I should start on the first row. For the the Elite race, my number is 41, which puts me in the 6th row. Josh is further back, due to later registration. If the course stays dry, he could move up pretty well if there is room to pass.

Current weather forecast is for warming temperatures, up to the 50's by Saturday afternoon and Sunday. There is a chance of rain both afternoons, but only 20%. It looks like a cold front is moving in Sunday evening, dropping temp's to the 30's.

Missouri State Championships - Hermann, MO

2008-12-08T09:51:00.006-06:00

Dec 7, 2008

The second day in Hermann was the big race. It served as both the State Championships and the final race of the Bubba Series. The field was mostly the same as Saturday, with a couple of riders opting to race in different age group categories instead. I felt much better warming up and was ready to go.

The start:

By the sand section about half way into lap one, I had a gap . Only Joe from KC was able to close it down. Josh was stuck behind a crash and was chasing hard about 15 seconds back.

I was able to ride the sand every lap and gained about 5 seconds each time.

By lap three, Josh was getting closer, but still about 10 seconds back. I was able to get an advantage over Joe on the technical sections and decided to attack after the off camber section again, just like yesterday. This time I picked a careful line through the gravel and charged up the stair run up. By the time I went through the start area, the gap was up to 10 seconds.
Josh continued to chase and eventually caught Joe late in the race.

I was able to increase my lead to 35 seconds on the last lap. I focused on riding smart and smooth, to avoid the flat tire of yesterday. The crowd cheering on the stairs kept me going every lap.

I crossed the line with plenty of time to celebrate:

The final podium (1st- Nate, 2nd- Josh, 3rd- Joe):

I look forward to my final race weekend in Kansas City for the National Championships. My goal is for a top-10 in the Master's 30-34 race and a top-25 in the Elite Men's race.

Thanks to Jeff Yielding and Mike Dawson for pictures!

Bubba #9 - Hermann, MO

2008-12-07T09:03:00.009-06:00

Dec 6, 2008

The final weekend of local racing took place in beautiful Hermann, Missouri, an hour and a half's drive west of St Louis. This small town is home to many wineries and B & B's. It hosted a stage of the Tour of Missouri and the season opening cyclocross race under the lights back in September. Compared to last year, the weather was very nice- partly sunny skies and temps in the 40's by the afternoon. The field included handful of Kansas City racers, plus the usual St Louis group. Here is the start:

Early in the race, a group of six formed. The course was open to strong winds that were blowing around and several technical sections would cause splits in the group. Here is a tricky off camber turn that would challenge everyone all race:

The sand section was about 75 feet long:

The stair climb:

Eventually the group was whittled down to Josh, myself and Joseph Schmelz (Trek KC). About half way through the race, I got a gap on the tricky off camber turn. Entering the stair run up, I took a different line and SMACK! An unnoticed rock was in my path, causing a pinch flat on the front tire. It slowly started loosing air, but I was able to maintain my lead until the pit. I hopped on my spare bike and got back on the course as Josh and Joe passed me. I was pretty pissed about flatting a $100 tire on only its third race (fortunately later that night I was able to seal the puncture and raced successfully the next day).

After a few rounds of attacks and counter attacks, Josh and I were free on the final lap and crossed the line first and second (note the course tape blowing in the strong wind):

The final podium (1st- Josh, 2nd- Nate, 3rd- Joe):

Thanks to Jeff Yielding and Mike Dawson for pictures!

Videos from Jingle Cross

2008-12-04T00:24:00.003-06:00

Elite races Saturday and Sunday:

From the Cat 2/3 race on Sunday (lots of crashes):

Another angle of the crash in the video above:

Jingle Cross UCI - Iowa City, IA

2008-12-03T15:17:00.005-06:00

Nov 29-30, 2008

The first day of the UCI weekend in Iowa City featured a long, steep run up "Mt. Krumpit", a pass through a barn playing Christmas music and other holiday themed course designs. I had a great start when a crash on an off camber section early in lap one took out half the field and I was able to sneak around to find myself in 5th place or so. Unfortunately my legs could not back this up and I struggled on the long runup every lap. This pushed me back out of the top-10 by halfway through the race, where my slide stopped and I settled into a good rhythm. One positive of the day was that I picked up some extra cash on the runup. Since I was mostly riding solo, I was able to collect many dollar bill primes littering the long run. This helped pay for dinner later that night. In the end I finished 13th, and Josh rolled in for 17th, after getting stuck behind the early crash.

Day two looked to be completely different. Light snow began falling the night before, and a strong north wind dropped temperatures into the low 30's. The course was changed to include another runup and a long switchback climb. This switchback climb turned into another running section as well. The defining feature was the steep, slick downhill after this switchback climb. In the earlier races, this claimed many victims and looked like a slip 'n slide covered in mud. I got a good start and avoided some first lap crashes to get into a group around 8th place. There was not much use riding behind someone today, so I just tried to stay steady and put down power when I could. What surprised me was my ability to actually run up a hill today as opposed to a slow stumble I had yesterday. This allowed me to stay with guys who dropped me before, and I was able to make time on the downhill sections throughout the race. One crash twisted my handlebars, but I was able to ride to the pit and get a new bike (Thanks Darrell for helping!). A lap later I got my primary bike back, all clean and shiny, ready for the last two laps. I held off a couple guys behind me and rolled in for 7th place, my best UCI level result in a couple of years. This puts me 246th in the world rankings, with 6 points and will give me a better starting spot at nationals.

Bubba #7 - St Louis, MO

2008-11-25T10:55:00.001-06:00

Nov 23, 2008

After departing the race at 11pm, I stumbled out of bed and back to race course at 9am the next day. We had to make some minor change to the course and then I found a comfortable resting spot by 10:30am. At 1:30pm I had to convince my body that racing again was a good idea.

I was not very aggressive lining up and found myself in about the third row. Mat and Josh were on the front row. Predictably, I found myself in 10th or so after a lap, chasing and chasing to bridge up to Mat. Josh was having rough day and settled into a chasing group. I finally caught Mat about halfway through the race, getting a rest for a lap or so. While pulling through a technical section, I noticed a gap forming and my brain reacted by going faster. Only when it was too late to sit up did I realize that meant many more laps going fast, by myself, on a windy day with tired legs. So as the lap cards counted down, my body slowly shut down. With 2 to go Mat was closing slowly. With 1 to go I thought I could hang on, but the gap kept falling. I convinced myself to make it to the twisty section where I first attacked and hold on from there to the finish. It worked, and I was able to cross the line about 5 seconds before Mat.

This was a great weekend of local racing, and now the final three weekends of the season are on the road. Next week to Iowa City for two UCI races, then to Hermann, MO for the State Championships. The final weekend in Nationals in Kansas City. If my condition stays the same, I hope to do well. This time last year I was just getting over a nasty throat infection, and saw my form going downhill. Right things seem to be improving slightly.

Bubba #6 - St Louis, MO

2008-11-24T10:35:00.002-06:00

Nov 22, 2008

The first annual night time cyclocross race was held in Creve Coeur Park. A huge crowd gathered for free food, free beer and exciting racing. The course was flat, with many turns, a long paved start stretch, a flyover and a sand pit. All this was lit up by four generator powered light towers. Start time was 8:30pm, with the temperature around 30 degrees.

After a very fast start, a lead group of 5-7 formed and was narrowed down to 4 by half way through the race. Josh, Ryan Pirtle, Mat Ankney and I made the selection. It was very hard to get a gap on this fast course that was mostly wide open. Sometimes gaps would form in the sand, only to be shut down on the following paved section. Josh and I tried several attacks, but none stuck. Mat suprised everyone and rode both sand sections to get a good gap entering 2 laps to go, but was brought back in half a lap. This setup an attack by Josh on the paved section with the bell ringing for the last lap. Ryan chased and brought me back up. Only three were left for the last half lap. I tried to get to the front for the sand section, but Ryan beat me there and looked good for the win. I lost my line and fell. Josh somehow got by me. Upon exiting the sand, Ryan could not get back in his pedals and Josh sprinted past to take the win. I was just behind Ryan for third place.

This was the closest race in St Louis all year, a true battle back and forth the whole time. To have it take place under the lights in front of many screaming cowbell ringing fans was terrific.

The sand pit:

The flyover (and rowdy fans):

photos from Mike Dawson

Creve Coeur Night Race Course Map

2008-11-19T16:12:00.003-06:00

Here is an approximate map of the course for Saturday night. Changes may be made based on lights and ground conditions. Flyover is located where the course intersects, with the stairs aligned north/south and the underpass going towards the parking lot. Start/finish will be on the paved parking lot.

Bubba #5 - St Louis, MO

2008-11-17T11:44:00.001-06:00

Nov 16, 2008

A new local venue was used this week- Suson Park in south county. It was a Koppenberg like course, with one large climb, a twisty descent and flat muddy sections in between. Below is how lap one looked at the barrier before the run up:

(Mike Dawson photos)

As you can see, Ryan Pirtle saw no reason to get of his bike for this 16" barrier. This made for an interesting race of trying to get to the barrier ahead of him, in hopes of preventing the flight over. Josh, Ryan and I rode together for most of the race. With about 4 laps to go, on the paved hill climb leading to the finish, I countered an attack by Ryan and got an instant gap. Pushing on for another lap, this margin grew to 20 seconds. With Josh shutting down the chase behind, I held on for a comfortable 30 second win. Josh came in for 2nd and Ryan 3rd.

Here is a YouTube video early in the race, where everyone dismounts for the barrier:

Bubba #4 - St Louis, MO

2008-11-10T11:21:00.002-06:00

Nov 9, 2008

Today saw a new obstacle in the St Louis cyclocross series. A flyover was built, consisting of a stair climb to a platform and down a ramp. This allows the course more flexibility as the race can cross itself, plus it makes for another spectator area. In Europe these are used often. In the US, this is only third flyover I know of and the first at a local series.

The course at upper Creve Coeur park had it all: sand, paved climbs, a flyover and twisty wooded climbs. Josh and I had a close race going into the last two laps when Josh pinch flatted on a root. He got a quick bike change, only to crash in the sand pit. I saw this and jumped away hard to hold him off on the last lap.

Mike Dawson photos

Bubba #3 - St Louis, MO

2008-11-05T09:41:00.004-06:00

November 2, 2008

This race was two days post Halloween, but many came out to Faust Park in costume anyway...

(Thanks to Mike Dawson for photos)

I managed to pass the Reno 911 cop, the cat that looked like a panda bear and some others not in costume to win the race. Thanks to all the crazy fans who were dressed up and cheering on the course. The weather was fantastic for November- 75 deg and sunny! Looks like next weekend will be colder- so get out and enjoy the warmth while you can.

Boulder Cup Weekend

2008-11-05T09:32:00.004-06:00

November 1-2, 2008

Josh drove out to Boulder, Colorado for a weekend of UCI races. He fared well, placing 27th Saturday and 32nd Sunday against the best riders in the country.

USGP - Louisville, KY

2008-10-29T10:08:00.002-06:00

October 25-26, 2008

The national US Gran Prix of Cyclocross Series returned to Louisville, Kentucky for a weekend of fast racing. The event is on an old golf course, so the grass is smooth and there are some sand traps for extra challenges.

Day one I lined up according to my race number, with no UCI points. I was near the back of a 60 rider field. The course was not very wide open and it took several laps to move up very far. All I could do was pass as many riders as possible and minimize mistakes. By the end of the race I could hear the leaders getting closer around the course. As I went out for my final lap, the winner was just about done. I lost a close sprint with one other rider, to finish 34th.

Day two saw some minor changes to the course. I lined up in the same row, but planned to start better. I passed about 15 riders on the outside of turn one and continued moving forward. With two laps to go a small group of 6 riders was only 10 seconds ahead. I worked hard to catch them and with some luck several riders had problems or lost energy and I could work my way to a 24th place finish. A goal of mine has been a top-25 finish at a national level race at this was very satisfying. Hopefully I can build on this for the next major UCI race in Iowa in one month.

Bubba #1 - St Louis, MO

2008-10-20T09:46:00.001-06:00

October 19, 2008

The first local race in St Louis took place at Jefferson Barracks Park along the Mississippi River. That means a long day of pounding in stakes, stringing miles of yellow caution tape, setting up tents and also finding time to race a bike. Josh and I managed to get a hard day of racing in, throwing in lots of attacks until we were off the front. We battled back and forth, and sprinted it out at the finish, where I won by a wheel.

The turnout was great, a 50% increase over last year. Hopefully this will continue throughout the season.

Below are some pictures (thanks to Phil Shoulberg):

Cincinnati 3 Day UCI Cyclocross "Stage" Race

2008-10-14T09:32:00.004-06:00

Oct 10-12, 2008

Josh went over on Friday for three days of UCI cyclocross racing. Day one was pretty good, placing 17th. The second day a huge crash just after the start caused some bent handlebars, a dropped chain and a long run to the pit for Josh. He would not finish the race. Day three was in Cincinnati's Harbin Park. I arrived from a long drive that morning, after working the previous two days. It was hot, about 85 degrees, and sunny. The course was fast, with two sand sections and one set of barriers. I got a good start to find himself in a group of 20 chasing 15th place, with a large gap to the lead group. Josh was not far behind in the same group. Somewhere on lap 3 or 4, I overheated and drifted back in the group. Josh was moving up, getting as far as 17th before also blowing up and finishing 24th. I regained some ground to finish 28th. Full results for Sunday.

OVCX #2 - Tour de Louisville - Louisville, KY

2008-09-29T11:10:00.006-06:00

Sept 28, 2008

Josh headed north for two days of UCI racing in Madison, WI. Results are here and here. I went east for one race outside of Louisville. Though it has been in different locations each year, I won the past two editions of this race and felt some pressure to continue the streak against a strong local field. The course was at a new venue around a small pond, with many twisty 180 degree turns and short, steep climbs. A good course to stay up front and out of trouble. For some reason, the 50" of rain received in St Louis this year failed to head all the way to Louisville, as they were still in a drought. This made the course loose and challenging once the top layer of grass was chewed up by earlier races.

The start was at the high point of the course, much like a BMX gate, rolling down thick grass to a banked right hand turn. After much elbowing and bumping, I entered turn one in 2nd place, only to have the guy in 1st fall for no good reason. Just as a flat easy crit with downhill sprint turns everyone in the pack into a star sprinter in the summer, the easy downhill start turned much of the field into world class starters of a cross race. If you are going to fight me for the hole shot of a race, please don't fall down in front of me. I looked for a way around, but could not quite hop over the sliding bike and rider. Only my front wheel got over, and I hopped off as the field churned past. No major bike damage- only a jammed brake pad and dropped chain.

After fixing both problems and ensuring no other damage, I began what would be a long, painful chase for the next hour. Last place in a 30 rider field on a twisty technical course was not what I needed on a hot, 80 degree day. Taking many risks, I slowly worked my way through the field. I fell numerous times, but with 4 laps to go I regained a position near the head of the pack. What I thought was the front group turned out to be a chase group, with a lone rider 20 seconds up. I needed another lap to recover, and no one else seemed willing or able to help chase. With a half lap to go I attacked on a run up over the barriers and got a gap that I held to the finish for 2nd place. In the process I closed within 5-10 seconds of the winner, getting to painfully watch him cross the line not far in front of me.

Results and report

Photos (from Kentucky Backroads Photography):

It is not often I stay mad for very long (or get mad in the first place), but I was able to spend the entire 4 hour drive home listening to loud, angry music. At least it helped keep me alert and focused. No racing next weekend, then the first of many UCI race weekends begins in Cincinnati, OH.

Hermann Cross Under the Lights - Hermann, MO

2008-09-21T10:30:00.002-06:00

September 20, 2008

This was a night time race with great support from the town of Hermann. Recent flooding left much of the park under water, so the course was compact and twisty, with a couple paved sections. A live band played all night, with tons of beer drinking fans lining the course. The race started at 8pm:

Josh and I were lined up on the far right. I got a great start, leading through the first of many turns. Josh worked his way up and joined me a few laps later. He kept the pace high and I did not jump on his wheel. The gap grew to 15 seconds and stayed around there for most of the race. Shadd Smith from KC trailed me by 15-25 sec most of the race.

Finals results were Josh in 1st, Nate in 2nd.

Photos courtesy of Mike Dawson, CowTown Cycling and Jeff Yielding. Check out Hermann Cyclocross for video clips and more photos, results and more.

Tour de Groundhog - Petersburg, IL

2008-02-18T15:02:00.010-06:00

Feb 17, 2008

This small cyclocross race in Illinois hosted its' 20th edition in 2008. I had not done any cyclocross riding since nationals in December, and took a nice break for about a month from much riding overall. This is my third year attending this event, and it always boasts some of the best prizes around. The course is pretty simple, with a flat trail and paved road punctuated by a short descent and climb.

Start of Senior Open

Two years ago it was frozen with no snow, last year was snowy/muddy and this year was just mud. Several inches of rain fell the day before the race and then it slowly began to dry as the races went on. This made for a challenging circuit and reduced number of laps. Think of riding in peanut butter.

Winning the Senior Open event (too muddy to put arms up)

I raced the Open and Classic events and managed to stay upright and not loose a shoe in the mud to win both events. It's been a while since I have ridden/run in mud that bad. My legs are pretty sore today!

Senior Open Top finishers in the Senior Open L-R David Breslin (2nd), Nathan Rice (winner), Chris Sweet (4th), Robo (7th), Podium Guy, Dennis Koscielski (6th), Darren Sherkat (8th), Jason Watkins (10th) and Matt James (9th).

Photos from http://www.teammackracing.org/

Thanks to all the Team Mack volunteers for the setup and to the park ranger who was nice enough to let us use the hose after the race. Each year more riders have traveled from St Louis to race. This year it was good to see a bunch from Mesa show up. Look forward to seeing more again next year!

US National Championships - Kansas City, KS

2007-12-19T14:01:00.001-06:00

Dec 15-16, 2007

This photo is from the Masters 30-34 race on Saturday. While it makes me feel old to race this category, I will turn 30 next year and was therefore eligible to compete. I had a good start position on the 3rd row and was able to move up about 15th by the first couple turns. The course was very twisty, and all the mud from the day before had froze overnight into barely ridable ruts 1-3" deep.

Most of the corners were very slick with ice. I was able to stay upright mostly, and by lap 2 I could actually feel my fingers again. It was about 20 degrees, plus some wind chill. I finished in 16th place, out of a field of about 100.

The next day was the Elite race at 1pm. The weather improved, with sunshine and less wind. The temps were in the 30's as well. This allowed the ruts to soften and the course was much more ridable.

This section was a layer of mud on top of frozen ground. Two lines to choose from.

Josh and I rode together briefly. He was not feeling as good in the turns, and I moved past him into the low 30's until a flat tire knocked me back about 20 spots on lap 2 or 3. I ran over a broken plastic stake just after the pit area and had to ride/run half a lap to get a spare bike. I chased for another couple of laps, before being pulled from the race with a few laps to go. I finished in 47th, and Josh rolled in at 55th. Here is a link to results from all the races. Thanks to Mike Dawson for some of the photos and to all the fans cheering. Some even got into costume!

Missouri State Championships - Hermann, MO

2007-12-13T13:52:00.000-06:00

December 8-9, 2007

After a week of real winter weather, I traveled over to Hermann, Missouri for the last two local cross races of the year. Sunday was the State Championship race. The course was set up very well in the local city park, and had it all - sand pit, stair runup, barely ridable hill, off cambers connected by brief paved sections and flat grass. The first day went well, with the course being mostly rideable and the weather only slightly cold (35F). I opened up a gap on Josh at the end and was able to get my first win in a while. We both felt ready to go for Sunday. Overnight the weather got worse, with freezing rain moving in. The course got very wet, and some sections were rerouted. The temps were a bit colder, and we were in for a challenging hour of pain. From the start Josh and I again pulled away. I seemed to get some gaps here and there, but Josh would close them down. About halfway into the race, I gambled on taking a clean bike, while Josh did not. This put a gap between us and I was chasing for the rest of the lap. Exiting the sand pit, the deficit was almost erased, but my frozen feet tangled and I fell flat on my face. This put the gap up again and I was unable to close it the rest of the race. Josh rode very well and deserved to win. Hopefully we can keep the momentum going into Kansas City for Nationals next weekend!

Some great pictures are here by Action Images. For results, go here.

North Carolina and Iowa UCI events

2007-11-26T18:15:00.000-06:00

Nov 17-18, 2007

The North Carolina races did not go that well. Josh placed 11th both days and I was coming off a week of illness. My results were 17th and 16th. Not what we were hoping for.

Nov 24-25, 2007

Real cyclocross weather found us in Iowa, where it was cold and windy, with some snow on the ground from a Thanksgiving storm. Josh finally got some UCI points with a 9th place Saturday. I had the chance to do well Saturday, but did not and placed 14th. Sunday I was again in the middle group racing for about 8th place when a flat took me back to the 20's. I noticed it past the pit and rode most of the lap on the flat. Finished 21st.

USGP #2 - Louisville, KY

2007-10-29T12:55:00.000-06:00

October 27-28, 2007

The US Gran Prix of Cyclocross Series came to the midwest for a weekend in Louisville, Kentucky. I had to work on Saturday, but drove over Sunday morning for the second race. The weather has changed to fall temperatures finally, around 55-60 degrees at racetime. Josh had raced the previous day and placed 54th. Since neither of us have UCI points yet this season, our start position was decided at random. Josh was number 88 and 80 over the two races, and I was 82. The total field size was about 95. Some better known riders without UCI points were "randomly" numbered in the 30's. My goal was to avoid the inevitable first lap carnage and move up as far as possible during the race. The track was wet on Saturday, but by Sunday things dried up to be tacky in most corners. The first lap went well, missing a few crashes and moving forward about 20 spots. The remainder of the race was spent hopping from the group to group until I was closing in on the high 30's by the end. I faded just a bit on the last half lap and could not catch one more group, finishing 42nd. Josh could never quite link up with me and finished a minute later in 50th. I was satisfied after looking at the results that only a handful of riders moved past more riders than I did. There was talk of making a permanent cyclocross track in the Louisville area, which would be great. The next big race on the schedule is the North Carolina UCI events in late November, with plans to get some points for a better start position.

Ryan Pirtle Invitational Cyclocross - Springfield, MO

2007-10-23T20:52:00.001-06:00

October 21, 2007

One of the coolest venues of the year is at Bud Hogan's house east of Springfield. He spared no effort in mowing, taping and setting up cones for a course that looped around his property and through a neighbors yard. The weather pattern continued summer like conditions, with temps in the mid-80's and sunny, plus strong winds. I got a good start at was at the front of the 25 rider pack early in the first lap. By the 3rd lap (of 11), the lead group had split and included myself, Josh, Ryan Pirtle (last years winner) and two riders from Oklahoma. About halfway through the race, were lapping riders and Josh managed to crash while making a pass. At the same point, I decided that a slow rear tire leak was not going to make it to the finish, and I pitted for the spare bike. Josh and I began to chase the leading 2 riders, and bridged up in about 2 laps. That setup a hard final couple laps, where Josh attacked and got a gap that he held to the finish. I sat on the chase attempts and then jumped clear entering the final barrier section for 2nd place. A great day was topped out by a big payout and a selection of grilled food and cookies! Here are results and complete photos.

Biowheels UCI - Cincinnati, OH

2007-10-23T20:33:00.001-06:00

October 14, 2007

I drove over Saturday afternoon after work to join Josh in Middletown, Ohio. He raced earlier in the day, and did okay. The course was twisty and hard to pass on, making a bad start costly. He vowed to do better the next day. We got up Sunday ,had breakfast and drove to the course at Harbin Park, located northwest of Cincinnati. The course looked to be very fast, very dry and wide open with only one technical section. I got a decent start from the second row and was in no man's land on lap 1 chasing the lead group of 10, while another group of 10 formed behind me. On lap 2 I slowed from the effort of the chase, and was passed by most of the second group. It took another lap to recover, but then I started moving forward again. By the mid point in the race I had caught up to Josh and we worked to close the gap to the second group, which was now fighting for 9th place. At one point we were within 5 seconds, but the group picked up the pace on the final lap and we finished 14th and 15th, about 10 seconds off the group. Look at the full results. Here is a video that has highlights of the race.

OVCX #3- Louisville, KY

2007-10-12T17:59:00.000-06:00

September 30, 2007

The Tour de Louisville was held just east of the city in a large park. The course was fast and smooth, with one off camber section and one barrier section. I got a great start and was at the front by the end of lap 1. By midway into the race I was in a lead group of 3, with two Papa John's teammates against me. Going into the bell lap, I had dropped one rider and then kept the tempo high on the final lap. This time I hit the final barriers in the lead and rode in for the first win of the season. The race was great and I look forward to heading back to Louisville later for the USGP weekend. Results are here.

Michigan UCI Weekend - Davisburg, MI

2007-10-12T17:42:00.000-06:00

September 22-23, 2007

The first UCI races of the season, just an 8 hour drive northeast. I left after work Friday night at 10pm, drove, slept an hour or two in Indiana, and arrived around 9am at the race venue. This was much earlier than last year and felt pretty good. The race went well. I placed 12th after racing spots 8-12 all day. A few less bobbles on some turns and a top ten could have been possible. Josh was close behind in 15th.

Day two I felt a little more tired, and faded the last couple laps to 15th, while Josh gained ground and moved up to 13th. Overall, a great weekend and much better results than last year.

See full results, with lap times for day one and day two.

OVCX #2 - Burlington, KY

2007-09-26T09:27:00.000-06:00

September 16, 2007

The first cyclocross race of the fall season for me was about 5 hours east of St. Louis in Burlington, Kentucky. The Ohio Valley Cyclocross Series has a large group of races all over the region, including several UCI events in October. I wanted a race to get some things sorted out before heading up to the Michigan UCI race the following weekend. My friend Gordon lives in Louisville, so we drove from his house together to the race. It was a dry and dusty course and the field was about 25 riders. I found the front of the race after the start and by the halfway point was in a leading group of 4 riders. We seemed evenly matched and I decided to wait for the final lap to make a move. I countered an attack from another rider about halfway through the last lap and was in the lead entering the final part of the lap. For some reason I slowed a bit, sliding back into 2nd place in the group for the final sprint. The paved section was too short to come around and I finished in 2nd across the line. A bit disapointing, but I got a good test on my new Ridley X-Fire and sorted out a few set-up issues.

Bill Jensen Memorial Cyclocross - Springfield, IL

2007-02-20T09:05:00.000-06:00

February 18th, 2007

This race is either the first race of the 2007 season or the last race of the 2006-07 cyclocross season, depending on how you look at it. Given the cold and snowy weather of the past couple of weeks, I was unsure of the course conditions before I left home. Gary Doer and the rest of Team Mack did a great job clearing the snow. A snowblower was used all around the course, leaving only a small layer of snow that turned to mud in the sunny spots. There was a very slick downhill that I think everyone fell at least once on. This was followed by a steep uphill, a flat section that wound through the woods, a turn on a paved road, back onto grass, over 3 barriers and back to through the start/finish line. The weather was about 30 degrees and sunny.

The first race was the Senior Open at 1pm. I managed to get the hole shot and not crash on the downhill, and stayed in front the rest of the race. In the last couple laps, the course was softening up, leaving mud on top of ice. I fell twice on the downhill, covering my left side in mud, but held on to win. After a quick clean up, the second race was the Classic Cyclocross at 2pm. This race went pretty much the same, with only one fall and another win.

Both races were great fun! Many thanks to all the volunteers who made it possible.

National Championships - Providence, RI

2006-12-18T15:27:00.000-06:00

December 15th-17th

Results:

Josh

16th - Master Men 30-34
64th - Elite Men US Championship

Nate

24th- Strawberry Cup
34th- Elite Men US Championship

2006-12-15T16:16:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Big Shark for supporting the trip to Rhode Island!

KLM Marketing UCI Cyclocross - Kansas City, KS

2006-12-04T12:18:00.000-06:00

December 3rd

Results:

Nate - 6th

Josh - 7th

2008

2006-01-31T10:10:00.005-06:00

Nate Rice

2008 Missouri State Cyclocross Champion
2008 Bubba Cyclocross Series Overall Champion
1st Bubba #1 Cyclocross - St Louis, MO
1st Bubba #3 Cyclocross - St Louis, MO
1st Bubba #4 Cyclocross - St Louis, MO
1st Bubba #5 Cyclocross - St Louis, MO
1st Bubba #7 Cyclocross - St Louis, MO
1st Bubba #10 Cyclocross - Hermann, MO
1st Tour de Groundhog - Petersburg, IL
2nd OVCX #2 - Louisville, KY
2nd Hermann Cross Under the Lights - Hermann, MO
2nd Bubba #9 Cyclocross - Hermann, MO
3rd Bubba in the Dark #6 - St Louis, MO
7th Masters 30-34 National Championships - Kansas City, MO
7th Jingle Cross UCI #2 - Iowa City, IA
13th Jingle Cross UCI #1 - Iowa City, IA
24th USGP #2 UCI - Louisville, KY
28th Biowheels UCI - Cincinnati, OH
34th USGP #1 UCI - Louisville, KY
46th Elite National Championships - Kansas City, MO

Josh Johnson

2008 Bubba Cyclocross Series Overall - 2nd place
1st Hermann Cross Under the Lights - Hermann, MO
1st Bubba #2 Cyclocross - St Louis, MO
1st Bubba in the Dark #6- St Louis, MO
1st Bubba #9 Cyclocross - Hermann, MO
2nd Bubba #1 Cyclocross - St Louis, MO
2nd Bubba #4 Cyclocross - St Louis, MO
2nd Bubba #5 Cyclocross - St Louis, MO
2nd Bubba #10 Cyclocross - Hermann, MO
14th Masters 30-34 National Championships - Kansas City, MO
16th Mad Cross #2 UCI - Madison, WI
17th Darkhorse UCI - Burlington, KY
17th Jingle Cross UCI #1 - Iowa City, IA
20th Mad Cross #1 UCI - Madison, WI
24th Biowheels UCI - Cincinnati, OH
27th Boulder Cup #1 UCI - Boulder, CO
32nd Boulder Cup #2 UCI - Boulder, CO
55th Elite National Championships - Kansas City, MO

2007

2006-01-31T09:22:00.004-06:00

Nate Rice

1st OVCX #3 - Louisville, KY
1st Bubba Cyclocross - St Louis, MO
1st Tour de Groundhog - Petersburg, IL
1st Bubba Cyclocross - Hermann, MO
2nd State Championships - Hermann, MO
2nd Bubba Cyclocross - St Louis, MO
2nd Springfield Cyclocross - Springfield, MO
2nd OVCX #2 - Burlington, KY
12th KLM Michigan UCI #1 - Springfield, MI
14th KLM Michigan UCI #2 - Springfield, MI
14th Jingle Cross #1 UCI - Iowa City, IA
15th Biowheels UCI - Cincinnati, OH
16th US National Championships, Masters 30-34 - Kansas City, KS
16th NCGP #1 UCI - Flat Rock, NC
17th NCGP #2 UCI - Flat Rock, NC
21stJingle Cross #2 UCI - Iowa City, IA
47th US National Championships, Elite Men - Kansas City, KS

Josh Johnson

1st Missouri State Championships - Cat 1/2
45th United States UCI Ranking as of 12/16/08

1st State Championships - Hermann, MO
1st Bubba Cyclocross - St Louis, MO
1st Springfield Cyclocross - Springfield, MO
1st Newton Cyclocross #1- Newton, IA
2nd Bubba Cyclocross - Hermann, MO
2nd Bubba Cyclocross - St Louis, MO
2nd Newton Cyclocross #2- Newton, IA
9th Jingle Cross #1 UCI - Iowa City, IA
11thNCGP #1 UCI - Flat Rock, NC
11th NCGP #2 UCI - Flat Rock, NC
13th KLM Michigan UCI #2 - Springfield, MI
13thJingle Cross #2 UCI - Iowa City, IA
14th Biowheels UCI - Cincinnati, OH
15th KLM Michigan UCI #1 - Springfield, MI
27th Java Johnny's UCI - Middletown, OH
55th US National Championships, Elite Men - Kansas City, KS

2006

2006-01-30T15:21:00.003-06:00

Nate Rice

30^th – United States UCI Ranking as of 12/16/06 for Elite Men

1st Tour de Louisville – Louisville, KY
1st St Louis Cyclocross Series #2 - St Louis, MO
1st Summer Cyclocross – Carbondale, IL
1st Tour de Groundhog – Petersburg, IL
2nd Springfield Cyclocross – Springfield, MO
2nd St Louis Cyclocross Series #3 - St Louis, MO
2nd St Louis Cyclocross Series #5 - St Louis, MO
4th Jingle Cross #1 – Iowa City, IA
6th KLM UCI Cyclocross – Kansas City, KS
6th Jingle Cross #2 – Iowa City, IA
8th Biowheels UCI Cyclocross – Cincinnati, OH
11th NC UCI Cyclocross #2 – Hendersonville, NC
12th NC UCI Cyclocross #1 – Hendersonville, NC
18th Tailwind UCI Cyclocross #1– Davisburg, MI
24th Tailwind UCI Cyclocross #2– Davisburg, MI
24th Cal. Giant Strawberry Cup – Providence, RI
34th US National Championships Elite Men– Providence, RI
46th USGP #4 UCI Cyclocross – Boulder, CO
53rd USGP #3 UCI Cyclocross – Longmont, CO

Josh Johnson

38^th – United States UCI Ranking as of 12/16/06 for Elite Men

1st St Louis Cyclocross Series #3 - St Louis, MO
1st St Louis Cyclocross Series #5 - St Louis, MO
1st Cross Mafia Series #1 – Newton, IA
1st Cross Mafia Series #2 – Newton, IA
2nd St Louis Cyclocross Series #2 - St Louis, MO
3rd Springfield Cyclocross – Springfield, MO
7th Jingle Cross #1 – Iowa City, IA
7th KLM UCI Cyclocross – Kansas City, KS
7th Jingle Cross #2 – Iowa City, IA
11th NC UCI Cyclocross #1 – Hendersonville, NC
12th NC UCI Cyclocross #2 – Hendersonville, NC
13th Lionhearts Cyclocross – Cincinnati, OH
16th US National Championships Master Men 30-34– Providence, RI
22nd Tailwind UCI Cyclocross #1– Davisburg, MI
30th Tailwind UCI Cyclocross #2– Davisburg, MI
38th USGP #4 UCI Cyclocross – Boulder, CO
64th US National Championships Elite Men– Providence, RI
75th USGP #3 UCI Cyclocross – Longmont, CO